The present invention relates generally to a sea anchor or boat drag means which is designed for deployment from a fishing boat or the like, and which is further arranged for providing a controllable or selectable drag to the boat, with the drag force ranging from essentially zero up to a substantial force. Sea anchors have been used in the past for emergency purposes, as well as for providing an efficient and predictable drag force to a fisherman's boat in order to assist the fisherman in moving at a predetermined and desirable rate of speed.
In normal fishing activities, a fisherman will frequently wish to troll or otherwise move across his desired fishing area or zone. This can be achieved by a variety of techniques, such as rowing, trolling with the aid of an engine or outboard motor, or by utilizing a sea anchor or boat drag means. Sea anchors have become a desired and popular drag means for use by fishermen, particularly when such a device can be utilized to provide efficient, noisefree, controlled movement across the water without contributing or adding to pollution from ordinary internal combustion engines. As a further feature, when a marine engine or outboard motor drives the boat at a rate which is greater than desired, a sea anchor may be employed to reduce the speed of the craft to a more desired rate.
By way of emergency utilization, sea anchors can be and have been employed when a boat becomes disabled during times of high or substantial winds. The sea anchor, when attached to the bow of a boat will keep the bow pointed into the wind so as to provide an added degree of safety, and to avoid having the craft subjected to wave action approaching the boat laterally, and thereby risk water splashing over the gunwales, and ultimately endangering the occupants through unintentional swamping of the boat or vessel.